Inspiration

Have you seen the blog: My Modern Met? 

Every day they showcase some interesting art work..... one day amazing nature photography, the next street art, the next this wild cut out book art.  I always come away inspired and wishing I had thought of it first. hahha.

Unique Scoop: Kitties Rescued by US Marine Soldiers in Afghanistan

I realize I haven't posted in an age... no good excuse will do... and though this is not my own personal content, it definitely brought a smile to my face today:

Read the whole story:  Unique Scoop: Kitties Rescued by US Marine Soldiers in Afghanistan

blog breakdown/ Google Reader I love you

Every morning (except when I am running out the door like a crazy woman) I make coffee in my old-fashioned percolator, then turn on the computer, check my email, check my bank accounts, and pull up ye olde Google Reader, one of the best inventions ever.

I am subscribed to a RIDICULOUS amount of blogs. RIDICK. REDONK, if you will. I can't even tell you how many, because I can't count that high. Of course I don't read them all everyday, so I always have 1000+ in the "unread items" countdown. However, these are the ones I check religiously:

Lifestyle/Personal

1. Dooce.com
2. Melear-o-sphere
3. Rahree
4. Posie gets Cozy
5. Confessions of a Pioneer Woman
   

Fashion

1. Omiru
2. Bits and Bobbins
3. dress, design & decor
4. Camp comfort
   

Design

1. Little Green Notebook
2. I suwannee
3. Making it Lovely
4. My favorite and My best

O LORDY I CAN'T STOP! I JUST KEEP ADDING THEM! Who am I kidding? They are ALL "must read." CRIMINY!

what are YOUR must-read blogs???

I heart Teesha Moore

Have you ever seen the work of artist Teesha Moore?
Her vivid style is instantly recognizable and I was attracted to it immediately when I began exploring the world of mixed-media art. You can see tons of her journal pages here.


A couple of years ago I heard about a rubber-stamping convention in Pasadena, Texas. I happened to have the afternoon free so I made the trek... and imagine my surprise when I ran across a booth with Teesha AND her wildly talented husband, Tracy! I spent a couple of hours talking to the pair and looking at their wares (definitely stand-outs in a sea of traditional rubber-stamping), and fell more in love with their work than ever.

And this week, Teesha has posted a series of "how-to" videos on her blog... Teesha's Circus. What an amazing glimpse at the process of a creative mind. Good lordy, it is fascinating.

Take a few minutes, scroll down thru her blog, and immerse yourself in Teesha's techni-color world.

Typical week

Again, long time, no blogging.
What I am doing with myself these days:

1. Working! On my first gig at Houston Grand Opera. The cast is great.... they sound great, and they are really going for it, dramatically. AND I love the director. I really admire the way her mind works and it is a pleasure to be assisting her. yay.
2. Finishing my taxes. bleh. Federal and two non-resident states. For the first time in years, I am not getting a refund. suck.
3. Reading: The Elegance of the Hedgehog Delicious. May be best read with a dictionary nearby.
4. Soaking up the gorgeous Houston "winter". High in mid-70's today. This place may be awful in the summer, but January, February, March cannot be beat.
5. Fretting about next season, getting things lined up.
6. Working on edits for "The Mini Magic Flute".... an adaptation of Mozart's opera for the Utah Symphony and Opera, to be performed next spring. YAY!
7. Loving all the great blogs I read. A few recent adds: Of a Certain Age (fashion), Couponing 101 (my newest obsession), OnceWed (supporting my secret desires to become a florist)

Phone phobia

Until today I had thought I was alone with this malady, but Ree, the Pioneer Woman, apparently has it worse than I do: PHONE PHOBIA*.

To quote her directly, "I don’t deserve friends. I don’t deserve family. I don’t even deserve acquaintances. And I certainly don’t deserve an answering machine."

Why???.... because I refuse to speak to my loved (or otherwise) ones on the phone.

Well, refuse is a bit strong, I guess. I DO force them to leave messages because I leave my phone on silent most of the time. Messages that I am loathe** to return. Yes, I am often in rehearsals where I can't take calls, but let's face it: the truth is, I can't stand to talk on the phone. I don't know why, but it brings up some primal dread in the pit of my stomach. This is not particularly conducive to a thriving social life, especially in light of the fact that I spend the majority of my time on the road and my closest friends are flung thither and yon across the continent.

So let it be said: please don't judge my love and affection by my lack of willingness to communicate via phone. Let's just view this as another in the long list of charming neuroses that make me the special gal you all know and love, ok? If you'd like to discuss it... please send me an email. :)

* There is even a name for this: Telephobia: a psychological ondition in which one experiences extreme fear or avoidance of using the telephone.
**is this even proper use of the word loathe?

Interview me!

This is a long one, folks! (that's what she said)
The lovely Rahree sent me five interview questions! And if you make it to the end of this very long post, you too can play along...

Here we go....

1. Do you have a favorite possession? What, if any, significance does it hold?

hmmmmm…..I have been living out of suitcases for about 3 years, and prior to that, did a few in an Airstream (hence the blog name!), so the last ½ decade has been about divesting myself of possessions. I have made a conscious (sometimes painful) effort not to take on more than I need, and to get rid of things that are not really necessary or special. A packrat by nature, this still leaves me with a fair amount of stuff! I was a part of the evacuation of Houston for Hurricane Katrina, and as I packed my car at 2am, the list of things that made the cut was surprisingly short: my cats, my computer, some old pictures and journals. The rest, I realized, could be replaced. It was a freeing moment.

2. Have you had an experience that has changed the way you view the world? ("world" on a grand, global scale, or on a day-to-day scale, your choice.)

I’m sure there were many “ah-ha!” moments along the way that I am not remembering right now, but this was a biggie: when I was a sophomore in college, a professor mentioned to me that he had heard of a grant that paid for study abroad. The deadline was in 2 weeks, and there were a lot of hoops to jump through. I set my mind to it, and made it happen. Getting the grant, then planning for and taking the subsequent trip really opened my mind. Yes, all the “seeing the world” stuff, but in a way, it was more about realizing that there was almost nothing I could not accomplish if I was determined enough, and that I could do it all myself. If I could navigate the local train schedule in rural Italy by myself, I could do anything!

3. Where is home?

As I mentioned before, I have been a vagabond artist type for several years, and only recently moved into an apartment and unpacked in Houston. I know I will always have a special fondness for Georgia, where I grew up, but really, I love love love my hometown-of-choice. Not in the summer, but the rest of the year. hehe. I came here for grad school and never expected to stay, but here I am, and I seem to keep coming back for more. It is the most wonderful combo of metropolitan experiences and small town community.

4. How do you face challenge?

Head on, usually. I am a big fan of gathering information and considering the best option, but I find if I only listen to it, my gut will always point me in the right direction.

5. What's your go-to guilty pleasure?

geez. I am a bit of a hedonist, but luckily my pleasures are simple: good food, good conversation, beautiful music. Here is a perfect evening: dinner with a funny and interesting pal (would be nice if this was a man pal with a hand-holding component, but that is not a part of the story right now), maybe a movie, home to a bubble bath, then curl up in bed with a great book (or alternately, aforementioned not-as-yet identified male).

Bonus question: What's your favorite thing to cook/eat?

Man, popcorn popped with butter on the stove the old-fashioned way is up there these days. I’ve also been making a mean lamb chop lately. Perfect meal: Rare ribeye, spinach w garlic and lemon, fried onion strings, flourless chocolate cake. It should be noted that this ideal changes hourly.

If you'd like to play along, just follow these instructions:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions. Be sure you link back to the original post.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

100 foods you should eat

This is kind of fun! (From foodie blog: Very Good Taste)

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Strangely, most of the things I have not bolded I have never even heard of. I think this is probably for good reason. :)

My nemesis, my love

Today I am going to share with you my favorite food sites. Yes, food sites. There are blogs out there for virtually everything, dontcha know? And these are special in that the recipes are outstanding, the photos gorgeous and the writing witty and clear and evocative.

1. Pioneer Woman Cooks.
Recipes by PW regularly make me laugh out loud. then drool. And I have to less-than-adore anything I have made from this site. Like the cinnamon rolls. Or the pasta primavera. or the lasagna.




2. The Smitten Kitchen.
This one is fairly new to me, but I am quickly becoming a big fan. Yesterday I made the blueberry pancakes. And today I am craving the huevos rancheros, but I think they are going to have to wait.



3. Ok, while not officially a food blog Posie Gets Cozy often features delicious looking recipes. Plus her site is just pretty. And I want to grow up and marry a man-nurse and be her. There, I said it.



And ps. while you are waiting for your oven to preheat, treat yourself and read some of the food essays in Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant. Tales of cooking and eating solitary-like. Trust me, it is a great read.

I see tiny people

this is kind of amazing. this guy sets up tiny little scenarios around London, photographs them, then leaves them for others to find. how freaking surreal. i love it.

See more here: Little People-a tiny street art project.

Day10: Cowboy love

Have you ever thought to yourself, "Boy, I wish I had a tiny cowboy hat to wear! But how would I keep it on my head?"

WELL THINK NO FURTHER!

Jennifer over at the Naughty Secretary Club has provided us with step-by-step instructions for making our own Cowgirl Hat Headband.

This announcement brought to you with love by Tara.

One Part Whimsy is back!

ok, i teased everyone by touting the opening of a new blog way back in January, but now it is for real: ONE PART WHIMSY is back in business! Add it to your Google Reader now. :)

New blog alert

ooo I hope you all still recognize your sarcastic pal after that last gooey entry. :)

THIS JUST IN: I am now working on a second blog.... DIDO & AENEAS 2008. As you might guess, it is all about my production of Dido with Mercury Baroque! Come on over and read along as I dish about the process of production.... from prep to show.

How I spent my Friday night

Ok folks, I am going to share with you an incredible secret.
I have just made the most scrumptious cinnamon rolls known to man, and the recipe is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Get thee hence: The World's Most Incredible Cinnamon Rolls Recipe, from one of my favorite blogs, "The Pioneer Woman Cooks!"


It was time consuming, and involved real live yeast and all, but my friends, it was worth it. Now please excuse me...I have to go wipe the flour off my bod and the euphoric sugar-induced grin off of my face.

Roller Derby Dreams

Have I mentioned lately how very much I love my new toy... the Mobile Broadband Card that allows me to get online anywhere I get cell phone reception? I hesitate to gush about it too much for fear I will somehow jinx the whole deal, but so far it has been wonderful... especially these last three days when I have been super sick and basically confined to my hotel room, only venturing out to microwave water for a measly cup of tea.

Anyway, in my random internet browsing, I discovered a new blog that I have enjoyed reading: Schnozzfest, and the author of this blog has recently gotten into Roller Derby. For about 15 minutes I thought this might be a fun hobby for me to get into... get a little exercise, meet some new people, etc. Then I saw this picture, from the Injury Ward on the Atlanta Rollergirls page, and I changed my mind right up:

Gives new meaning to the term "shiner," doesn't it? And there were broken bone pics too. I think I will stick to my treadmill for exercise, thank you very much.

Dream House

Ok, if you have read my blog, then you already know I am totally infatuated with the life and work of Ms. Alicia Paulson of Posie Gets Cozy.
Well, while perusing my regular blogs this morning, I found a whole slideshow of her beautiful home on Apartment Therapy.



Looking at these pics leaves me seriously wishing I had a place of my own. In the meantime, I will just have to look and drool. Join me? (click)

Pretty.

Well I have found a new blog to drool over: Anahata Katkin.
This is what I dream my journal pages would look like. Instead they are filled with semi-coherent ramblings about silly men or my disinterest in exercise. Exciting reads, really.

I love this woman's style... vibrant colors, a caucophany of images and text.

Puppy love

I have written about this blog before, but folks, it is seriously good. I wake up every morning hoping against hope that there is a new post in the simple but rivetingly interesting world of Posie Gets Cozy.

This fall Alicia and Andy lost a dear pet, and the shock waves were felt all over the blogging world.

And now this:
I suggest you stop whatever you are doing and click over to read about little Clover and her new family. And bring some Kleenex.